Activate your account
The first crucial step for text messaging compliance is activating your messaging account in Klaviyo. If you haven’t done this yet, check out this guide for step-by-step instructions: How to get set up with text messaging in Klaviyo.
Best practice #1Grow your subscriber list compliantly
When you gain more text messaging subscribers, it’s important to make sure they understand what to expect from your marketing program, and want to receive your texts.
Update Terms of Service & Privacy Policy
Your terms of service and privacy policy need to be updated to accurately reflect language about your text messaging program. Link both documents in your disclosure language, so new subscribers understand what to expect when they opt in.
Include disclosure language
Your disclosure language must be present wherever you collect consent, including sign-up forms, consent at checkout, and more. Add your disclosure language in your settings to automatically include it on all sign-up forms where you collect text messaging consent.
Collect explicit consent from all new subscribers
Double Opt-In requires subscribers to take 2 actions, like submitting their number and confirming their subscription with a code. This helps verify genuine interest and avoid spam issues for your subscribers. It is also essential for some message types, like abandoned cart messages. If you want to further streamline the process, consider usingSmart Opt-in.
Using double opt-in for text message consent collection is strongly recommended in the United States.
Best practice #2Craft messages designed to deliver
What you send via text message plays a direct role in its deliverability. Make sure to both avoid sending prohibited content and to include necessary information so your messages don’t violate carrier regulations.
Avoid SHAFT terms and other prohibited content
Never send messages related to SHAFT terms, which stands for: Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco. Doing so will result in your messages getting blocked. Familiarize yourself with all prohibited content before sending text messages.
Include opt-out instructions
Carriers require that STOP instructions be sent to all subscribers regularly, at least once every fifth message or once per month. A toggle in the campaign editor makes it easy to add unsubscribe instructions for each message.
Always identify your brand
You should identify your company or brand in every message. Do so early in your message so that your subscriber will easily recognize you as the sender and not confuse your message as spam. Add your organizational prefix for each message easily with a toggle in the campaign editor.
Text the right people at the right time
Not only does the content of your text messages matter, but so does the timing and the audience. Send your messages during allowed hours and to people who can actually receive your messages to protect your deliverability.
Send texts during allowed hours
There are certain times of day when it is illegal to send text messages. It is best not to send messages before 9 a.m. or after 8 p.m. in your recipient’s local time zone. Klaviyo has a built-in Quiet Hours feature that helps you control text message sending times for your automated flows, giving you peace of mind.
List cleaning for text messaging
Since you don’t want to completely remove text messaging consent from profiles, you should instead create an unengaged segment of those who aren't consistently interacting with your text messages. Only send to this segment for your major marketing moments to prioritize sending to your engaged subscribers. To stay in compliance, it’s important to continue sending to your unengaged subscribers at least once per month to provide them with opt-out instructions.
Protect deliverability by evaluating text message performance
Consistently monitoring your performance allows you to take remediation steps quickly to make improvements. Use the deliverability hub to view your text message metrics and failures in 1 cumulative dashboard.
Take steps to improve your text messaging metrics
Key metrics to focus on when evaluating performance are click rate, conversion rate, and unsubscribe rate. If you recognize any of these metrics falling below benchmarks, take resolution steps to improve performance:
Take steps to reduce errors
When you consistently send campaigns to phone numbers that return errors, you harm your overall deliverability. Analyze your failed message reasons and take the necessary steps to decrease these logs. A key proactive strategy is to create an error segment and exclude it from all of your text message campaigns to ensure that you’re only sending to those who can receive your texts.
Note: This information is intended solely for educational and informational purposes and should not be construed as legal advice. The content provided is general in nature and may not reflect the most up-to-date information. Klaviyo strongly advises consulting with a qualified legal counsel to ensure your compliance with applicable laws and regulations in connection with your use of our services.